Introduction

"The
secret of life is knowing when to take on something difficult, that
might have enormous risks and implications. It turned out to be
something we could all be very proud of." -Joseph McNeil

On February 1, 1960, four young
college freshmen changed history as we know it today. These four
gentlemen meant that they were going to put an end to segregation and that's
exactly what they did. Even though the first day of the sit-in made little
impact, the boys were determined to prove their point. “They can just sit
there. It’s nothing to me” were the words of F.W. Woolworth’s manager,
C.L. Harris. However, on the second day, word of the sit-in had spread
and the four young men were accompanied by even more people. Soon, this
would be the word around many college campuses and become a bigger event than
the college boys would have ever expected.

The boys at the Woolworth lunch counter on the first day of the sit-in.